What America's 250th Represents for Native Women

Erica González Martínez prompts journalist Rebecca Nagle to explore the ongoing erasure and misrepresentation of Native people in media and public discourse, highlighting how limited and often historical portrayals of Native Americans shape harmful perceptions today. Rebecca unpacks how Native perspectives have been excluded from foundational U.S. narratives—particularly around the country’s origins and expansion—and explains how understanding this history is essential to making sense of current political dynamics. The discussion emphasizes the importance of amplifying Native voices, supporting Indigenous journalism, and critically examining the stories we’ve been taught about America.

Rebecca Nagle is an award winning journalist and citizen of Cherokee Nation. She is the author of By The Fire We Carry: The Generation-Long Fight for Justice on Native Land and the writer and host of the podcast This Land. During Erica's conversation with Rebecca, she talks about her new podcast First America, which launches on June 22, 2026. "This summer, as our country celebrates the 250-year anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, First America will tell the true story of how the United States came to be. And how our current political moment is 250 years in the making."